Salutations, wonderful beer fans! To usher in the return of the Kernel Beer Column, I will lay down some knowledge about one of the most under-utilized methods of beer drinking: growlers.

Even if you don’t recognize what a growler looks like, you’ve definitely seen them before. You know those hillbilly dudes with long white beards and floppy hats who are always drinking out of brown jugs with XXX labels across them? Those jugs are called growlers.

Growlers are typically 64 ounces (about five pints) bottles made out of glass with screw-on caps that can store beer for up to a week.

Most breweries and pubs will fill growlers for between $10 and $30, depending on your selection. In Lexington, most of the five breweries will fill growlers, as will the Kroger liquor store near campus.

According to lore, monks in the 1600s would store beer in sealed containers while they were fasting, and they would

drink it instead of eating because beer is a high calorie liquid.

Later on, around 1800, growlers were normalized and pubs began to sell them for patrons to take home. They were deemed “growlers” because, when the lid was removed, the released CO2 would make a rumbling noise.

In the 1930s, working children would bring Prohibition-reformed jugs (much more similar to the growlers we know today) filled with cheap beer to factory workers, sometimes even picking up a pail on the way home for their parents. This activity became known as “running the growler.”

Today, growlers are an excellent way to express your beer drinking personality. Growlers have become a near novelty in the last few decades, adding a certain level of flair for us brew enthusiasts.

Who do you want to talk to at a party; the guy with the backwards visor, frosted tips, flip flops and Asian script tattoo who’s tossing back light beer in a Solo cup, or the girl with thick black glasses, a few detailed tattoos, polished boots and a beanie who’s taking regular pulls from a sticker-covered growler? I know who’d catch my attention.

In summation, growlers are a time honored and hip tradition that allow beer drinkers to showcase their individual style while enjoying a substantial amount of delicious beer.

Head to any of Lexington’s breweries and ask to purchase one and fill it with your favorite brew. Until next time, may your glasses stay full and your taste buds stay pleased. Cheers.

Adam Pennavaria is the beer columnist of the Kentucky Kernel.

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